Thanks for sticking with us team and let's get set for a big grand final week.

We'll be back with live coverage next Sunday to cover the NRLW and NRL grand finals, but until then, let's enjoy the week ahead.

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary says he's "so happy to be back in a grand final".

"It's so hard to get there. A bit surreal actually."

"Tonight's performance wasn't our best, but defensively it just about was our best. We just gave them too many opportunities."

But at the first opportunity, Cleary has teed off on the bunker for taking a try off the Panthers in the 58th minute. And while the obstruction call from the bunker, which overturned the on-field decision of try.

Both Clearys are adamant back rower Luke Garner ran at the inside shoulder of Sifa Talakai in the lead-up to Sunia Turuva diving over in the left corner.

Not only has Ivan called the decision wrong, but he's singled out the bunker official by name.

"It was a terrible decision and that gives me a lot of anxiety around next week if that official, I think it was Chris Butler, I shouldn't say that, but that was wrong.

"That worries me about next week if that same bunker official or someone reading from the same script is officiating next week.

"It's terrible. There's no understanding of what we're trying to do, the play we're trying to run. Next week, the biggest game of the year, I'd hate for something like that to happen."

Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon says "we're getting closer" and they were taught a lesson in how to apply pressure and keep it on tonight.

"They're a team in the middle of a dynasty and we're a team in the middle of development; there's levels to it and we're not quite there yet.

"I'm super excited about what we can do here. … I just hate losing."

Both Fitzgibbon and captain Cameron McInnes are disappointed in the lack of execution from the team, but not any lack of effort.

"[We're] not just happy to be here," McInnes says.

"At times tonight we felt like we were getting the upper hand. Effort's not enough, you've got to ice your moments."

Finishing in the top four and going to the finals in Craig Fitzgibbon's third year as a head coach is a remarkable effort, but there is a clear gap in terms of top-end talent from Cronulla to the likes of Melbourne, Penrith and even the Roosters.

Their attack tonight lacked any sort of polish, and while the conditions surely played a part in that, there was little to no adjustment.

Penrith does that to teams — forces them to try too hard, which leads to errors — but the Sharks barely fired a shot all night.

They probably had the rub of the green with a few big refereeing decisions, plus Penrith was uncharacteristically sloppy with the ball in hand and still the Sharks struggled to capitalise.

They need to find a way to reignite Nicho Hynes's confidence and unlock his running game, because if he can get clicking with Braydon Trindall, Will Kennedy and Kayal Iro and Jesse Ramien out wide, they have some tools, but their execution needs to get infinitely better.

In short: Historically, unbelievably great.

Their structured plays are perfect, their impromptu stuff is unstoppable, their defence is the best in the league, their athleticism is elite, their mentality is unshakable. There just aren't any gaps.

I don't think I've ever seen a team so rock solid.

Even in an error-strewn performance tonight, once they switched on in the late stages, there was just no stopping them.

And five grand finals in a row? That hasn't been done since South Sydney in 1967-71 (although Valleys went to six straight in the Brisbane Rugby League from 1969-74). And before that it was the St George team that won 11 straight premierships from 1956-66.

That's the sort of company this team is in, but these Panthers have the salary cap and a much wider pool of talent to contend with.

Truly phenomenal in every way.

Panthers fans would have held their breath as Nathan Cleary clutched at that troublesome left shoulder in the final few minutes, but he tells ABC Sport he's fine.

"All good, just a little knock at the end but I was able to play out the next two sets and it felt fine."

Cleary had some instability in that left shoulder earlier in the year and missed 10 weeks as a result.

He's clearly been managing it and will simply continue to do so. When it's pulled at awkward angles, it will hurt like hell, but he's going to keep playing through it.

This is an astounding achievement from the Penrith Panthers, who showed their class time and time again.

It was a scrappy and sloppy wrestling match for long stretches, but when it came to winning time, Penrith was just perfect in execution. And of course it was led by halfback Nathan Cleary.

The late scare with that left shoulder is obviously a concern, but Cleary looks OK out there. He's been carrying that injury all through the back half of the year, and I'm sure he just tweaked it in the tackle.

I don't think there is any doubt he'll line up back here in eight days' time.

This time it's Liam Martin, with Jarome Luai grubbering in behind the defensive line and the workhorse back rower dives in to ground the ball.

The Sharks look ready to go home, physically and mentally cooked and Penrith is keen to keep racking up the points.

He was due for an early mark anyway, but the shoulder injury definitely expedited that.

The Panthers halfback pulls off a brilliant try-saver on Kayal Iro and comes out holding his left shoulder.

He's in a fair bit of discomfort. Penrith fans everywhere hoping it's just a stinger. Ivan Cleary will surely sub him off for Brad Schneider right now.

Nope, he's resuming his spot in the defensive line. Gutsy, but really, the number 14 is fresh as a daisy. It's time to bring him on.

Nicho Hynes chips early for Sione Katoa and he catches it and tip-toes down the sideline, but he needs to step back inside.

Instead, Sunia Turuva and Dylan Edwards throw him into touch, and a couple of desperate offloads later the ball ends up in the hands of the Panthers.

A brilliant set after points from the Panthers.

Dylan Edwards breaks through on the fourth, finds Nathan Cleary, who offloads to Jarome Luai. Nicho Hynes drags him down 2 metres from the tryline, but there's no panic from the Panthers, who just spin it left and Paul Alamoti nabs his second of the night.

Another handling error from the Sharks gifts the Panthers field position.

The fifth tackle breaks down but ends up in the hands of Nathan Cleary and he simply sums it up with a pin-point kick over the head of Ronaldo Mulitalo on the far side of the field for Brian To'o to score.

I've never seen a team be as dangerous on plans B, C and D as this Penrith side is.

They NEVER stop competing.

The Sharks get another great chance as Mitch Kenny catches a slipping Tom Hazelton high, and Cronulla finally find the tryline.

They spin it right and it takes an absolutely freakish putdown in the corner from Sione Katoa to finally get them over the line.

Somehow, the Sharks are still in this and only trail 10-6.

The Panthers weather attack after attack after attack and go up the other end, crossing through Sunia Turuva, but the bunker finds an obstruction.

They say Luke Garner ran at Sifa Talakai's outside shoulder, but it looks like inside shoulder to me. And Talakai made a decision to play Garner. Poor call from the bunker.

Cronulla gets another chance off a knock-on from Dylan Edwards in trying to clean up a grubber under his posts, and Braydon Trindall grubbers in behind. Nicho Hynes gets his hands to it, but can't bring it to ground as he bustles with Sunia Turuva, and the Panthers repel another attack.

Mitch Kenny's dummy-half pass goes to ground and Liam Martin knocks it on.

Then, off the scrum, Martin smacks the ball out of Ronaldo Mulitalo's hands.

And, in response, Sunia Turuva tries to beat Sifa Talakai on the outside, but Talakai brilliantly flings him into touch.

The wet weather is wreaking havoc out there.

Cronulla NEEDS to take advantage here.

Cronulla is gifted a dubious penalty as Tom Hazelton sells a late shot from Luke Garner, but Royce Hunt tries to force an offload and Mitch Kenny comes up with it.

The bomb goes up and Dylan Edwards looks set to be harangued inside his 10m area, but he skips out of the first tackle, spins it out wide, and ultimately they make 30 extra metres before Brian To'o is brought down.